Too Smart For Your Own Good
by Christy W
Summary: Alissa tries to keep Charlie from developing a program that threatens everyone she holds dear. (Alissa's Interests Series #5)
1. Chapter 1

Title: Too Smart for Your Own Good  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 13  
Fandom/Theme: Buffy/Highlander/Numb3rs  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here. They belong to their respective creators and production companies.  
Distribution: and TtH  
Spoilers: None  
A/N: This is actually part of a much larger series that I've written out longhand, but keep losing pieces of…This plot bunny is because I could really see something like this happening, at least in the world of Immortals and vampires.  
Summary: Alissa tries to keep Charlie from developing a program that threatens everyone she holds dear.

Charlie raced from chalkboard to chalkboard, writing in a bit of equation on one and erasing a bit on another. There was a knock on the door and Amita poked her head in.

"Hey, Charlie, there's a Ms. MacKenzie here to see you. Something about your face recognition algorithm?"

Charlie acknowledged it absently and kept writing out more of the equation, continuing on to another board when there was a chuckle behind him.

"I can do basic math, but this looks worse to try and read than Ancient Egyptian," Alissa quipped from her perch on the edge of his desk.

Charlies glanced over as her, his brain trying to make the transition from the orderly world of numbers to the chaos of everyday life. "I'm sorry, Miss-?"

"Alissa MacKenzie," she said, shaking hands. "I came to talk to you about the algorithm you submitted to the NSA for their face recognition software."

Charlie stared at her intently. "And hwo did you know about this project in the first place?"

"Because my company was one of the other ones bidding on the project. And I'm telling you that if you go through with this, the NSA will open up a can of worms bigger and freakier than they can handle."

"Are you threatening me, Ms. MacKenzie?"

Alissa sighed resignedly. "No, not in the least, Professor Epps. Merely stating the inevitable."

And without another word, she turned and left his office.

Agent Don Epps looked up from his coffee to see his brother standing in front of him, a folder in his hand. "Hey Charlie. What's going on with you?"

"Well, I came by to ask if you might be able to look something up for me."

Something about the tone of his voice had Don staring hard at his younger sibling. "Charlie, what's up?"

"Well, I had a visitor today on campus," he began and outlined the meeting for Don.

"Alissa MacKenzie? I'll see what I can pull up for you and have something by tomorrow."

Frustrated about the stubbornness of some people, Alissa slammed into her condo, threw the paperwork on a nearby table and stomped to the bedroom, shedding clothes as she went. But a sound from the living room had her throwing her shirt back on and grabbing a knife from her weapons cache. Creeping back in on stocking feet, she neared the living room and grabbed the shadow in the doorway, pinning them against the wall. Slamming her palm against the light switch, she sighed when she saw who she held against the wall.

"Goddammit Angel! Would you warn a gal sometime? I almost stabbed you."

Angel grinned as he walked over to her bar and picked up a wine glass. Walking back over, he handed it to her and said "You remember giving me a key to your place, right? I thought that you'd seen me when you came in, if you hadn't been in an all tearing fit like you sometimes get."

Alissa sighed as she sipped her wine. "And when I get this pissed, I either hit something or want a glass of wine. Just give me a chance to shower and I'll tell you what I've been up to. Being Research Girl has certainly paid off over the years."

Angel's laughter followed her back into the bedroom.

"Three main companies, my own included, were in the final running for the face recognition software for one of the government agencies," Alissa explained over manicotti.

"Okay, I'm with you so far. I remember you mentioned issues about it before," Angel replied.

"Oh, most definitely. I mean, think about it – they start using it now and over the next 60 years or so, there's going to be a run on plastic surgeons by Immortals wanting to tweak things as little to be able to hide in plain sight just a little longer. Not to mention the bit of the vampire population that tries to live somewhat respectably."

Angel smirked at that last bit and motioned for her to continue.

"That's why I had my top designers on it, with a severely encrypted back door I keyed it later for myself. That way, I could skew things for the Immortals, at least."

"And let me guess- the agency you did this for found the loophole," he surmised.

"Quite. So, the contract went to the Cal-Sci team headed by Professor Charlie Epps who incidentally has a NSA clearance close to ours."

Angel sat up at that. "NSA clearance? Since when did an Irish upstart vampire like me get that?"

"Uh, probably having to do with running Wolfram and Hart, perhaps?" Alissa said with a chuckle. "And you _know_I like being able to keep my fingers in various pies over the years, just in case shit like this happens."

"Okay, I get that. So what are you going to do about it now that you've tried to warn them off?"

"Simple. I'll just take a page from Angelus's playbook – divide and conquer."


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Too Smart for Your Own Good  
Author: Christy  
Rating: FR 13  
Fandom/Theme: Buffy/Highlander/Numb3rs  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here. They belong to their respective creators and production companies.  
Distribution: and TtH  
Spoilers: None  
Chapter: 2/?  
A/N: This is actually part of a much larger series that I've written out longhand, but keep losing pieces of…This plot bunny is because I could really see something like this happening, at least in the world of Immortals and vampires. Also, you can find a little ficlet associated with this chapter here: . ?no=17434  
Summary: Alissa tries to keep Charlie from developing a program that threatens everyone she holds dear.

Charlie was off to the side in one of the small conference rooms, amazed at what Don had managed to dig up on Alissa MacKenzie in twenty-four hours. She was the owner of as diverse company that had computer science, food and drink and pharmaceuticals as just a few of the things they specialized in. An orphan, she had been adopted by the childless couple that had been running the family owned company for the past century or so. She'd traveled Europe as a teen, though rarely photographed until she came back to run the company after her mother's death. She didn't have any kind of criminal record and didn't seem to date. Some of Don's research pointed to the fact she might be married, due to the fact she wore an ornate ring on her ring finger, but he hadn't been able to dig up any marriage certificates yet.

"She looked above board from what I can find about her," Don said, bringing in coffee for both men. "So, why is she threatening you about this one contract? Her company's gotten government contracts before, so why resort to borderline corporate espionage? Why is this one so important?"

"I'm not sure," Charlie replied. "But I don't think there would be much harm in me going to see her to apologize and see what I can find out."

While Don and Charlie were discussing what to do about Alissa, Colby was getting out of the shower when he heard a knock at the door. Having just gotten home, his gun was still in the foyer, so he picked it up, just to be safe, as he went to see who was there. He grinned and put the gun back on the side table when he saw the curvy brunette at the door.

"Hey, stranger. Heard you'd headed this way to work. I came prepared with some nice red wine for me and a six pack of the beer I remembered you liked in Germany," she said with a grin as she walked in.

Colby smiled back as he closed the door behind her. "Nicole, I haven't seen you since that training camp. You haven't changed a bit."

Alissa looked him up and down as she put the drinks down on the kitchen counter. "Well, the past few years have been really good to you. I like what I see," she said, pulling him close and kissing him soundly.

Colby groaned as he slammed her up against the wall and kissed her back like he could eat her from the mouth on down. He didn't know where she'd gone after working with him in Germany and he didn't really care. She was an inventive lover and he'd really enjoyed that.

"You need this towel anymore?" she gasped out as he began nibbling his way down her neck. "No? Good..I've got plans for that body underneath."

Alissa lay back against the pillows as Granger snored softly. They hadn't made it to the bed the first time, but, then again, they hadn't managed to do it in Germany either. She glanced over at him, not sure how she felt about everything. She knew that having a former lover working for the FBI office that was linked to the Professor and his work might work to her advantage. And considering the real reason she'd been in Germany, she'd given him her middle name. She'd been after a nasty Immortal who had a habit of using others to incapacitate his targets, ala Xavier St. Cloud, only instead of using mercenaries, John von Stiles had a habit of using vampires. So, the less who had known that this Immortal cum Slayer was trying to get rid of two very thorny problems at once, the better. She just hadn't known how well it would be able to work out back then. But, duty called- she wanted to get a patrol or two in before heading to the office in the morning.

Much refreshed the next day, Granger strolled into work with a grin on his face, whistling. That whistle took on a different tone when he ran into David carting around a ton of file folders and paperwork.

"Here man, lemme help."

"Thanks, Colby. Sorry to ruin your obvious good mood, but Don heard that the Slayer case might have moved to LA."

"The Slayer case? Which one is that again?" Colby asked as they walked into the conference room.

"Multiple headless bodies scattered across half a dozen states," Don reminded him. "What connects them is the large sword usually found nearby. Only this time, we have the head and the sword, but no body. And even then, it's down to bone structure, because there's evidence the victim was set on fire post mortem," he explained, looking at Charlie.

Charlie sighed and explained the program running in the background behind him. "I have a beta version of an algorithm that the Defense Department wants used for facial recognition, once all the bugs are out, but Don wants me to try it out on this skull, since the FBI's normal facial artist is at a conference in Amsterdam."

"So, while he tries to debug it, Colby, you and David go interview the warehouse manager."

Alissa groaned as she scrubbed down. _Damn oil leak! Haven't had a Quickening do that since that dry summer in Sonoma in the 80s._After slathering La Mer on very liberally, she lay down, planning to sleep while her body healed, but when she heard a key in the door, she jumped back up. Still half asleep, she padded over tot he door, grabbing a sword when she felt the Buzz. She held it ready as she heard the key turn in the lock, then relaxed again when she saw who it was.

"So what brings the Boy Scout down from Seacover?" she commented, her back to him as she put the sword back.

"What, no time for an old lover?" Duncan asked with a chuckle, then winced when he caught sight of the burns not covered by her robe. "Joe told me there'd been a fire- he didn't say how bad," he stated, coming over and gently rubbing her arms.

"Hell, I've been shot at post-Quickening before. I'll be fine...I drank a pain potion, so it's not unbearable right now. So, why come visit? Can't be just because of what Joe told you, though I am touched that's part of the reason."

Mac shrugged as she poured them drinks. "Angel called and I figured I'd come lend a hand, since I'm still officially a consultant to MacKenzie Industries, if you can use me."

"I just might have a position for you," she said with a saucy grin as the doorbell rang.

Looking in a nearby mirror, Alissa murmured a concealment spell and, satisfied with the results, belted her robe tighter and went to answer the door.

"Professor Epps, to what do I owe this honor?" she asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"I just had a couple questions from our discussion the other day. I think I automatically assumed the worst. I have a tendency to do that, especially when it comes to projects I've worked really hard on."

Alissa nodded in understanding, waving him through the doorway. "Well, if you will just sit for a few minutes in the living room, I'll put something on and you can tell me more about why you're here."

Duncan sat sipping his scotch as he watched the professor take in Alissa's decorating scheme, which was heavy on the militaristic theme, which he understood. _She always did like to keep her weapons handy in a pinch,_ he thought with a chuckle.


End file.
